19 May 2017

Women Directors at Nippon Connection 2017

Since 2010,
I have made a point to watch all of the films directed by
women at Nippon Connection.This year’s programme includes feature films,
documentaries and animation by women directors…. with
women also featuring prominently behind the scenes in the areas of production
and screenwriting.

Guests include the Japanese producer Yukie Kito (Tokyo Sonata, Sakebi), who is presenting the documentary Mifune: The Last Samurai (Steven Okazaki, 2015), Akiyo Fujimura will be on hand to present her feature debut Eriko, Pretended at its German premiere, and Tokyo University of the Arts student Rina Tanaka will present her directorial debut Snake Beneath the Flow at its international premiere.

Women are
currently dominating the student population in animation courses across Japan,
which is why this year’s Tokyo
University of the Arts selection is predominately female directors.There are two women in my selection Poetic
Landscapes – Recent Gems in Japanese
Indie Animation.Eri Okazaki is a graduate of the Tama
Art University (Tamabi) animation programme.Kiyoko Nakai belongs to the
art unit kesyuroom2013 (ケシュ#203)with Minami
Nakai. Both women are graduates of Film Studies at Waseda.

Here is a
quick overview of what to look out for:

NIPPON ANIMATION

A Silent Voice

映画聲の形

Eiga koe no katachi

Director:
Naoko YAMADA

Japan 2016, 129
min.

German
premiere

Thursday,
May 25, 12:00 Mousonturm Saal

Saturday,
May 27, 13:30 Mal Seh’n Kino

Poetic Landscapes – Recent Gems in Japanese
Indie Animation

in the
presence of the curator Dr. Catherine Munroe Hotes and director Hayato Nove